Minimally invasive endoscopic procedure can restore weight loss

March 06, 2015

Surgery to promote weight loss by reducing the size of the stomach has become a very effective and popular obesity treatment. Over time though, some patients may experience a gradual stretching of the stomach or the entrance to the stomach, leading to weight gain. UCI Health now offers a minimally invasive way to regain some of the benefits experienced from bariatric surgery using an endoscopic device called Apollo Endosurgery OverStitch™.

Through a flexible scope passed through the mouth, the physician can sew tissue tighter from the inside, where food enters the stomach. This is similar to tightening a belt and limits the amount of food intake that can be accommodated during each meal. Patients more quickly regain the feeling of fullness in their stomach and often begin to lose weight again.

Dr. Kenneth Chang, executive director of the UCI Health H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center, recently used OverStitch to revise the vertical sleeve gastrectomy a 62-year-old woman who underwent surgery at another hospital several years ago. Chang said the patient noticed she was able to eat more food and had begun to gain weight. His solution used sutures placed with the Overstitch device to tighten the stomach opening that had stretched since the initial surgery.

“Endoscopic bariatric revision benefits our patients by eliminating the need for a second major operation,” Chang said, “No incisions are made and there are no scars. Most patients can go home the next day of the procedure and resume their normal routines within a few days.”

“The ability to suture internal tissue without making an incision enables us to offer a broad range of bariatric and gastrointestinal minimally invasive procedures to help our patients achieve lasting weight loss and improved health,” Chang added.

UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 412-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 14 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.